Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-30


"Well, he's a patient, good-natured fel-
low-woudnt hurt a fly and you don't
know old Mis- Prouty."
The assemblage shook its head as one
man. as old Seth repeated impressively,
"You don't know old Mis- Prouty. Nobody
nercI got the better Of her.
Ever happen to hear that old Deacon
Prouty had brother y asked the CONNER
cial traveller, lighting a match on his boot
with nonchalant air.
''There was 'I4ias, now," quavered old
Enoch Fowle. "He was a thorn in his
mothers side, but he run away and twas
said he was drowned at sea. Lemme see
twas four years ago-or mebbe five.
FIFTY years ago-nigh upon fifty years,
said Seth Tibbetts. (Mem'ry failin'," he
whispered with an apoogetic nod towards
old Enoch.) "And he never was heard from
afterwards and mebbe twas jest as well,
for if there ever was a limb"
"But his father left half the farm to him,
didn't he and his half Joined the estate of
one Grier That's the way I've heard it.
You see, I'm 'Las Prouty's SON"
"You don't say Well, thinks |, there's
something familiar about him, and now
can see the Prouty look as plain as day. |
always thought consid'able of 'Lias Prouty
myself and there's a good many that'll be
glad to see his son, to say nuthin' of old Mis-
Prouty and Sabr' Ellen, that are gettin'
short o relations
81 didn't come neighborin or cousinin' {;
that aint in my line" said the stranger,
shortly. II was round this way on bust
ness, as | told you-them dye-stufts that I'm
introducin' amt equalled in the world-and
l thought I'd take look at my property.
looked up the claim and found twas all
right years ago, and I've been payin' taxes
on it, kind o quiet | aint one to tell my
affairs till I'm ready. | thought perhaps
could hear Of a man that would like to buy
it. rather guess | have. Right along up
the main road, you say And his name is
Orlando Grier"
The group in the store gazed after the
stranger in open-mouthed astonishment, and
with growing appreciation of his business
qualities.
81 declare for t, he was jest drawin' me
out - said old Seth Tibbetts 81 had ought
TO turn my tarlunts to some account, and
not be hoavin' of 'em away
Hes an imposetor for 'Lias Prouty him
self wouldn't be nigh as old as he is if he
was alive said Enoch Fowle, with an air
Of great shrewdness.
"'Lando Grier is goin to get chance to
get the better of old Mis- Prouty :" exclaim-
ed old Seth Tibbetts, his own wrongs fading
from his sight in this new excitement. 81
remember folks wondered some at the dea-
cons buildin' that house on LASS half Of
the land, when it want nOways certain
that LAS was dead there want no proof
that he was aboard the Colitmby that was
| lost, but the deacon was sure of it. Now,
| you see, if 'Lando buys that land he's got
right to set that house up on rollers, and
roll it clean off into the creek, or over the
| falls, or burn it up-and that fence if that
don't come down pretty quick, l miss my
| guess ~
! MISSY Pringle, the "helpn at old Mis-
! Prouty's, had come in TO buy some molasses
and starch, and listened in the shelter of a
shadow which was unpenetrated by the fit
! full kerosene She did not wait to hear the
! legal discussion which ensued, nor even to
cast doubt upon the purity of the molas
ses, or haggle over the price of the starch
forms which were almost universally OBJ
served in the Scutney Corner store.
NJ 'lissy had lived with the Proutys for
! twenty years, and considered herself one
of the family and her mission in life was
as she expressed it, to take part of the
heft of old Mis- Prouty off Sabr' Ellen. She
heartily approved of Orlando Grier's suit,
and openly lamented the lack of backbone
!
her mothers will.
ale haint got none either, or he'd "a
made her have him long ago!' MISSY was,
in bitter moments, free to confess. She
deposited her groceries on the back-doOr
steps, and then stole softly around and
peeped through a chink in the blind into
Orlando Grier's sitting room window. Or
lando and the commercial traveller were in
close conference. Orlando was small
man. very fair, and with a delicate, sensi-
tive face which looked almost effeminate
beside the foxy shrewdness of the stranger
His arms were awkwardly long, and his
shoulders stooPing, but he was holding him
self very erect now, and there was a look
on his face that caused NJ 'lissy to say to her
self, exultantly, Hes done it, n he's a
desprit man"
She ran softly back, and burst into
the large bedroom ON the ground-floor in
which old Mrs Prouty had taken to her
bed. Sabr' Ellen was there, engaged in
airing the fifth night-cap which her mother
had rejected ON account of fancied damp
ness
"Well, Mis- Prouty, l believe you be
right, and it's the latter days" exclaimed
Missy. "'Lando Grier owns the land this
house is settin' on this very minute, and a
whole half of the farm, that he's bought of
'Lias Prouty's son-Lias that folks thought
was drowned And Lando-well goodness
knows we can't expect no quarter of him
They say he's goin' to roll this house right
off down the hill, m he don't care whether
it goes into the creek, or over the falls, or
only just down into the cranberry bog, or,
as like as not he'll burn it up"
Old Mis- Prouty had raised her head from
her pillows her black eyes peered sharply
out from the yellow burrows of her face.
Il don't know what you're talking about,
Missy Pringle; something has flew to
your head" she said in a shrill, harsh voice
that came oddly from her little withered
body.
II amt one that has things fly to their
heads, and it's the livin' truth. And I've
heard folks say the deacon hadn't ought to
have built this house on LASS land till he'd
made sure that 'Lias was dead And now
everybody will be pintin' the finger of
scorn. 1t amt so much living on the edge
of the cranberry bog, if he don't do no
worse than roll us down hill-though !
s'pose tits kind of unhealthy-but it's the
bein' shook up so goin', n he's a desprit
man, n that fence will come down tO-mor-
row mornin'.n
ooh, Missy" cried Sabr' Ellen, 81
don't think 'Lando would"
MISSY stopped her by a severe frown.
MISSY had heavy eyebrows which met
above her nose, and one of them was white
her frown was terrible.
Old Mis- Prouty had partially raised her
self in bed-an effort to which she had not
been equal before for months. Her little
figure quaked and her features worked con
vulsively as she tried vainly to find her
voice, but in the semi-darkness her black
ewes seemed to emit sparks
ITS a great pity that he and Sabr' Ellen
wasn't married long ago, pursued Missy
with desperate boldness. 'Then what was
his would "a been hers, and there would a
been nothin' for nobody to say, m the old
house could a sot where it is till it come tc
a material end But | suppose it won't shake
it To pieces TO roll it down the hill, m you
could be carried out, N if you couida't
stand it down under the hill, count of youI
asthmy, why, you could go and live witt
your brothers widow, Sabiny Eldridge."
Mis- Prouty found her voice me live
with Sabiny, and eat cream o. tartar bread
and see the skim milk wasted, and pound
for-pound preserves eat up by the chore
boy hain't come TO that yet if hav,
had shock And about Lando Grier
believe you've gone crazy. | don't believ,
that 'Lias ever had a son, and there's Law
about peaceable possession an payin taxe'
so long"
II see LASS son with my own eyes, set
tin in the store, and heard him say, witt
my own ears, that he'd been payin' taxei
for long time, m keepin' it quiet. You
know yours has been runnin' behindhand fol
a long spell so you wouldn't "a known it.
why didn't he offer TO sell it TO me
then I" said Mis- Prouty after a moment o
reflection. "Id have given all the rest o
the farm to keep what the house sets ol
out of the clutches of Grier,"
"Well, he heard that Lando Grier wa
forehanded and thought he could get
good price out of him. He didn't seem Z
have a mite of family feelin' There nigh